Typographical composing machine



Jan. 5, 1932. D. s. KENNEDY TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jan. 5, 1932. D. s. KENNEDY v TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed OCt.-25, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N QR Jan. 5, 1932. D. s. KENNEDY TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet s U W. mfffjg A TOR .EZzE? E 2 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 13 fifb rvs M D. s. KENNEDY TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1929 m wmw $50 t all: I

Jan. 5, 1932.

Jan. 5, l 932.

D. s. KENNEDY 1,839,225

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMFOSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 25, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR M J/QW ATTO EYf Patented J an- 5, 1932 m S s PATENT mm:

DAVID s. KENNEDY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MERGENTHALEN LINo- TYPE COMPANYyA CORPORATION or EW YORK TYPOGRAPHICAL cor/rrosINc- MACHINE Application filed .dctober 25, 1929. Serial No. 402,401.

zine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the L face of a slotted mold, the mold filled with .molten metal to form a slug. or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter returned through distributing mecha- 15 nism to the magazine from whichthey started.

More particularly, it relates to that class of machines capable of handling matrix fonts differing as to the size and number of charac- 'ters, such for instance as the seventy-two or fifty-five character display fonts and the ordinary ninety character text fonts now in use. In machines of this class, the keyboard mechanism includes means whereby the finger keys may be op-eratively connected to the.

Z5 magazine in use to effect the release of corresponding matrices of the contained font, .whether the latter be a text font or a display font. This feature is important since the matrices of'the display fonts (being much thicker than those ofthe text'fonts) are .dif-

ferently spaced in the magazine channels and are usually arranged in a different order as to character v The present invention contemplates certain improvements in a keyboard mechanism of the kind mentioned and such as that illuss trat-ed inthe Ackerman Patent No. 1,626,? 7 3, wherein the keyboard is providedwith a single series of slides for the cam yokes, as usual, and wherein these slides are operated from the finger keys through an intermediate series of connecting bails or levers, whichmay be adjusted at will to establish a set of direct connections between the various keys and the 'nection's between certain selected. keys and differently located slides ofthe series when a respective slides when anordinary-text font is in use, or a set of more or less indirect conprovided with cams or yeccentrics.E adapted I under the influence oftrip dogsfE tacooperate with a pair of underlying power.- driven'rolls E The trip dogs E are opera- 100 mode of operation, will be best understood fromthe detailed'description to follow.

. Referringto the drawings:

Fig. lis a side elevation, partly in sec-tio'n, of a keyboard mechanism embodying the present improvements; j I I Fig. 2 is an. enlarged Vertical section through the keyboard mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation .of a portion of said mechanism; j i v i I Fig tie a top plan view showing diagrammatically the rocking bails connected to the upper tier of finger keys; Y

Fig. 5 is a horizontal. section through a group of actuating slides, showing the rela- 55 tive positionof the bails thereto when they are adjustedforwa rdly, f p

Fig. v6 is a fragmentaryside view of the partsshowninFig.5;'-

Fig. 7 is a section sirnilargto Fig. 5 but-x showing the relative position of the bails to theactuating slides when the former are adjusted rearwardly; p

I Fig.8 isla fragmentary sideview'of the parts shown in Fig.7.; v l Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view showing the improved connections between the actuating slides and bails; and p i. .7

'Fig. 10 is a plan View, partly in section, of one of the types of bails employed.

The keyboard. mechanism shown is designed particularly for a machinejadapted to be equipped with aregular magazine containing the ordinar ninety .characteretext font or with a special magazine containing the seventytwo character display "font. Ordinarily, the machine is provided ;with

Imagazinesof both kinds, these magazines being movably mounted for interchange and each provided-with a series of matrix releas-a ing escapements, which are actuated by a corresponding series of vertical reciprocating reeds E when a- 'mag azine. isbrought into operative position.

The escapementreeds E arejoperatedby;

pivoted yokes E arranged in twoibanks and In the embodiment illustrated, the slides H,

instead of being operated directly by the key levers F asordinarily, are connected thereto through a series of rocking levers or bails i,

which (as best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and i) are located at the rear of the keyboard F. These bails are disposed in superposed groups, one for eachtier of finger keys, and the bails of the respective groups are pivotally mounted upon transverse rods J fitted into the end walls of a box or frame which latter is adjustable forwardly and rearwardly to set the various bails as a unit in one or the other of two different positions. In their forward position, the bails serve to connect all of the finger keys of the keyboard to the respective actuating slides H so as to effect the release of the text matrices from the regular magazine, whereas, in their rearward position, the bails serve to connect certain selected finger keys to dilferently located slides of the series so as to effect the release of the display matrices from the special magazine.

The present invention is directed primarily to the particular form of connection between thekey levers F the bails K and the intermediate slides H, such connection being intended, not only to afford efficient and reliable contact surfaces between these parts, but also to permit certain desired uniformity in their construction, in order to reduce the cost of manufacture to a minimum. The majority of the rocking bails K employed each comprises (as best shown in Fig. 9) the two hori zontal arms K, K and the connecting bar or tie rod K. The arm K (Figs. 5 and 7) is slightly longer than the arm l3 and both arms are extended rearwardly of the pivot rod J a given distance which may vary, asbetween the bails of thedifferent groups, for

the pivotal movement of the bails.

clearance of the respective tie rods K during The arms K andK of the rocking bails are formed at their forward or free ends with lugs, or shoulders k and with transverse cuts or recesses 70 is located immediately behind said In s.

n the forward adjusted position of the rocking bails, the lugs 70 of the longer bail arms K engage, from above, the reduced'end portions f ofthe key levers F which in th resent instance are arran ed lIl horizontal recesses it formed in the slides H; and, from which each'bail is associated.

below, the said lugs engage the upper walls of the recesses h so as thus to effect an operative connection between the finger keys F and and the slides H. On the other hand, in the rearward adjusted position of the rocking bails, the lugs 72 are withdrawn from the recesses it so as to break operative connection with the slides H but maintain their engagement with the key levers F the reduced end portions 7 of these levers, as willbe noted (see Fig. 9), being extended for this purpose beyond the rear edges of the associated slides H. Motion of the linger keys under the latter adjustment will therefore be transmitted through the longer arms K of the rocking bails to the shorter arms K thereof, and thence tocertain selected ones of the actuating slides H in the manner about to be described.

The slides H, as will also be noted (see Fig. 9), are formed with rearward projections k and contact portions 7& depending the 'efrom and these contact portions are spaced from the rear edges of the slides to provide clearance notches 7L When the bails are adjusted rearwardly, the lugs 70 of the shorter arm K are adapted to underlie the depending portions k of the selected slides H so as to connect the latter through the longer bail arms K to the finger keys F and when the adjusted position of the bails is reversed, the lugs 70 will be located in registry with the clearance notches/i of th slides and thus break the connection. The slides H associated with the longer bail arms K are also formed with depending contact portions 7L2 and clearance notches h but in this 'case, while the notches serve as clearance for the lu'gs'lc in the retracted position of the bails, the depending portions h" are really inactive, the recesses 70 of the arms K being suliiciently wide to clear the depending portions 71 of the slides in both adjusted positions of the operative relation tothe bails of alternate groups, and those of the ren'ia'inmg slides be-' ing located in operative relation to bails of the intermediate groups. It will be understood that the arms of the respective bails K are j differently spaced apart according to the relative location of the two actuating slides with 7 V The arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 4, wherein is indicated, diagrammatically, the offset relation 60 immediately above the teeth 7? and thus serve to lock the slides against upwardmovement;

of the slidesll controlled from'the upper tierv the 7), the spacing block thus serving as. a con- I ticular slides H contr nesting bar or tie rod as in the form of bail above described. In other cases, where the slides H are used in effecting the release of matrices with like characters from both the text and display fonts, for example'the lower case e and cap C (Fig. 4) ,th'espacing block is elimi nated and the two arms K, K of the rocking bails K are fastened directly together (see Fig.10) so as to act upon the same slide in either adjusted position of the bail box J.

Since only seventy-two of the ninety finger keys are used forthe display fonts, the parolled by the remaining unused eighteen keys should preferably be rendered inactive when the bails are shifted rearwardly to connect the keyboard with escapements of the display magazine This situation can be rencare of by using only the longer arms K of the rocking bails K, the shoulders 70 thereof bearing precisely the same'relation to the slides H as before, but serving only as an interponent to connect the associated slides with the key levers in-the forward position of the bails-and to break such connection in the retracted position thereof. However, it is preferred that the corresponding key levers be locked out of ac tion when thus disconnected from the slides 7 so that in this way the operator will know, by the non-actuation of the key levers, that he has touched the wrong keys;

A simple expedient for accomplishing this result is shown in Fig. 2, where the slides H, connected to the finger keys to be locked, are formed at their lower ends with rearward projections h and upstanding teeth or lips 7 which latter are disposed in operative relation to a horizontal plate or flange J se-' cured to'the front wall, of the box 5.

The plate J is formed with apertures which, in the forward position of'th-e'bail box, adapted to register with the teeth 72, and which, in the retraced position of the box, are adapted to standout of registry with said teeth. In the former case, the apertures permit the slides H to'rise under the influence of he finger keys, while in the latter case, the

for trd end of the plate J will he disposed With this arrangement, a bail such as shown in Fig. 10 is used to maintain the engagement of the bail with the slide H when the former the s other slides but mai groups, except perhaps,

before alluded to.

lever J from, to a crank arm J deper rock shaft J", which latter is is adjusted rearwardly, the locking of the finger key thus being'effected indirectly from the slide through the bail.

The operation of the parts will now be clear i "When the box J is in its forward positlon'ofadjustment, the longer arms K of i the rocking bails'K in'the six superposed groups will connect all ninety finger keys with the respective actuating slidesH, the shoulders 73 of these arms being engaged in the transverse cuts or recesses h of the slides above the reduced end portions of the key levers F andthe corresponding shoulders 70 of the shorterarms K of the bails being disposed in registry with the notches h of the differently located slides. This is the condition of adjustment required for the release of matrices of the ninety character orltext font from a regular magazine. The other andthe bails K serve to connect the seventytwo active finger keys (those corresponding to the matrices of the display font) to the appropriate actuating slides H, thelugs 10 0f the shorter bail arms K at such times engaging from above the depending contact "portion 71 of the associated slides, and the lugs 70 of the longer bail arms K beinglocated in registry with the notches h of the aining their engagement from below with the key levers Fh Since the general construction of the bails K, including the special. forms noted, will .be substantially the, same throughout'the diii'erent for the different lengths of the tie rods Khonly those of the upper-group,which are associated with the upper tier of finger keys, have been-illus- However, if further details trated herein. of thed1iferent connections between the finger keys and the escapements of the regular I ninety'character magazine and the seventytwo magazine be desired, reference may be had to the Ackerman Patent No. 1,626,773,

- The adjustment of the bail box J (see Figsf 1, 2,v 8 and 4) is effected by means of a small vertically disposed hand lever J pivoted about midway of its length to a fixed bracket J and conveniently adjacent the right-hen d side o-f'tqe keyboard The hand i connected its lower end by a horis.

J5, extenc'ling rearwardly thereg from along ,7 osed longitit' dinally of the keyboard the rear wall of the bail box J and jonrnaled at its opposite ends in V lateral extensions J of a pair of brackets J secured to the upright side posts F of'the keyboard frame. The extensions J are located alongside the end wallsal Zontal l (Fig. 4) of the box J and serve to support the box through the medium of bearing portions J formed on the Walls J and which slidably engage the upper face of the extensions J The box J (see Figs. 2 and 4:) is operatively connected to the rock shaft J by a pair of vertical arms J rising from the shaft and loosely connected at their upper ends by pin and slot connections 7' to the end bearing portions J of the box J.

hen the hano lever J 3 is pulled forwardly (Figs. 1 and 2), the box J throughthe connections just described will be adjusted in the same direction by the vertical arms J to bring the longer arms K of the rocking bails K into engagement with the actuating slides H; whereas, when the hand lever is pushed rearwardly (as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1), the box J will also be moved rearwardly to break the engagement of the longer arms K ofthe bails with the actuating slides H and bring the shorter arms K thereoi into engagement with the appropriate slides H. In order to limit the movement of-the bail box and to locate it in both ot'its adjusted positions, there is .employed a pair of stop screws j mounted in the bracket J 4 and arranged to engage an ear j projecting rearwardly from. the hand lever J (see Fig. 2).

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1, In keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combination of a finger key, an actuating member formed with a recess wherein the finger key engages, and an adjustable device movable in and out of said recess to make and break an operative connection between the actuating member and finger key.

2. In a keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combination of a finger key, an actuating member formed with a recess wherein the finger key engages, and an adjustable bail or lever constantly engaged with the finger key and movable at will into and out of said recess to make and break an operative connection be tween the actuating member and finger key..

In keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combina tion of a finger key, an actuating member formed with a recess wherein the finger key engages, a rocking bail or lever adjustable at will into and out of said recess to make and break an operative connection between tli actuating member and finger key, and means for adjusting said bail.

' 4. In a keyboard mechanism for typo graphical composing machines, the combination of a finger key. two actuating members located in spaced relation. to each other. and

one formed with arecess wherein the finger keyengages, and an intermediate adjustable rocklng bail having two arms arranged in operative relation to the respective actuating members, one arm of said bail being constantly engaged with the finger key and movable as the bail is adjusted into. and out of the recess of the associated actuating member to make and break an operative connection between said member and the finger key, and the other arm of said bail being aoapted under the same adjustments of the rocking bail to alternately make and break.

an operative connection between the finger key and the other actuating member.

5. In a keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combination of a finger key, two actuating members 5 located in spaced relation to each other, one being formed witl recess wherein the finger key engages and the other formed with a rearward projection having a depending contact portion, and an intermeciate adjust"3 able rocking bail having two arms arranged i 1 ,i.

in opera-rive relation to tne lEESPGClJh B actuating members, one arm of said bail being constantly engaged with the finger key and movable as the bail is adjusted into and outof the recess of the associated actuating memher to make and break an operative connection between said member and the finger key. and the other arm of said bail being adapted under the same adjustments of the rocking bail to make and break an operative connection between the finger key and the contact portion of the other actuating member.

6. In a keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combine tion of a series of actuating members, a corresponding series of finger keys having their rear engaged in recesses formed in the respective actuating members, and a series of adjustable two-arm rocking bails, the lat i ter having one of their arms constantly engaged with the finger keys and movable under the adjustment of the bails into and out of said recesses to establish a set of connections between all of the finger keys and i the respective actuating members, and having the other of their arms arranged in operative relation to dil ferently located actuating members of the series, so that under the same adjustment of the bails they will be moved*:

tion of a series of fin er keys, a correspondtion to connect all of the keys to the respective actuating members and in another position to connect certain selected keys to difii'erently located mei'nbers oi the series, and means for adjusting the bails, both arms of certain bails" being arranged to cooperate with the .1

in a keyboard mechanism for typo-# same actuating member so as to maintain the connection of the latter with the associated finger key in both adjusted positions of the bails.

8. A combination as specified in claim 7 charcterized by the fact that the actuating.

members are formed with recesses and rearward extensions and that one arm of each of the bails which cooperate with the same actuating member is constantly connected to the finger key and adapted under one adjustment of the bails to enter the recess in the actuating member in establishing a connection between said member and the fingerkey, while sponding series of actuating members, bails normally connecting the various finger keys to the respective actuating members and adjustable to connect a lesser number of said keys to a corresponding number of difierently located members, and means active under such adjustment to engage the remaining. actuating members of the series and through the bails to lock the associated finger keys out of action.

10. In a keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combination of a series-of finger keys and a correspondlng series of actuatlng members, bails normally connecting the various finger keys to the respective actuating members and adjustable to connect a lesser number of said keys to a corresponding number of differently located members, and a bar or plate adjustable with said devices and adapted to engage lugs or lips formed on the remaining actuating members and through the bails to lock the associated finger keys out of action.

11. In a keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combination of a series of finger keys and a corresponding series of actuating members, bails normally connecting the various finger keys to the respective actuating members and adjustable to connect a lesser number of said keys to a corresponding number of different- 1y located members, the latter members being provided with contact portions and clearance notches, and the associated arms of the bails being similarly provided with contact portions and clearance recesses, whereby in position of the bails they will be operatively engaged with the lesser number of actuating members and in another position disengaged therefrom.

12. In a keyboard mechanism for typographical composing machines, the combination of a series of finger keys and a corresponding series of actuating members, bails normally connecting the various finger keys to the respective actuating members and adjustableto connect a lesser number of said 7 keys to a corresponding number of difierently located members, the latter members being provided with the rearwardly extending projections h with the contact portions 72/ and the clearance notches [L3, and the associate arms K of the bails being formed at their free ends with the lugs 10 and the clearance recesses all substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed by: V v DAVID S. KENNEDY. 

